CCA Cheat Sheet 2026

The 30 highest-yield CCA facts, distilled from real exam questions. Print it, save it as a PDF, or study it here — free, no sign-up.

1. Sodium Adsorption Ratio (SAR) of irrigation water is used to assess the risk of: → Soil structure degradation due to sodium-induced clay dispersion
2. Which of the following is considered a primary macronutrient essential for corn growth and is required in quantities similar to nitrogen? → Potassium (K)
3. Which of the following is a key component of an effective IPM program in correctional facilities? → Regular pest monitoring
4. A cash flow statement is most useful to farm managers for: → Identifying the timing of cash inflows and outflows to anticipate shortfalls
5. When conducting an irrigation water quality test, which two parameters are most critical for assessing salinity and sodium hazard to crops and soil structure? → Electrical conductivity (EC) and Sodium Adsorption Ratio (SAR)
6. Soybean sudden death syndrome (SDS) is caused by which pathogen? → Fusarium virguliforme
7. Which irrigation method typically achieves the highest application efficiency for row crops by delivering water directly to the root zone? → Drip/trickle irrigation
8. Why is phosphorus typically banded rather than broadcast? → It places nutrients close to developing roots
9. Which pathogen causes common corn smut, characterized by large galls on ears and tassels? → Ustilago maydis
10. Gross margin for a crop enterprise is calculated as: → Total revenue minus variable (direct) costs only
11. In furrow irrigation, surge flow is used primarily to: → Improve water advance rate and distribution uniformity by cycling flow on and off
12. The primary environmental concern associated with over-irrigation in agricultural fields is: → Leaching of nitrates and other soluble nutrients into groundwater
13. What is the primary benefit of conservation tillage in soil management? → Reduces soil erosion
14. Which irrigation method is most efficient for reducing water loss due to evaporation? → Drip irrigation
15. Subsurface tile drainage is primarily installed to: → Remove excess water from saturated soils to improve aeration and trafficability
16. Northern corn leaf blight (NCLB) lesions are best described as: → Large cigar-shaped grayish-green lesions parallel to leaf veins
17. The release of mass-reared lady beetles to control an aphid population in a greenhouse is an example of which type of biological control? → Augmentative
18. Why is organic matter important in soil? → Improves soil structure and fertility
19. What is the primary benefit of using a soil test before fertilization? → It determines existing nutrient levels
20. The Baermann funnel technique is used in plant diagnostics to: → Extract and recover plant-parasitic nematodes from soil or root samples
21. Frogeye leaf spot in soybeans is caused by which pathogen? → Cercospora sojina
22. The leaching fraction in saline soil management is defined as the: → Fraction of applied irrigation water that drains below the root zone
23. Fungicide application for managing gray leaf spot in corn is most economically justified at which growth stage? → VT to R1
24. Which nutrient is most often limiting in crop production? → Nitrogen
25. Which environmental condition most consistently favors infection by foliar fungal pathogens? → Cool to moderate temperatures with extended leaf wetness
26. The current ratio in farm financial analysis measures: → Short-term liquidity — the ability to pay near-term debts from current assets
27. What is the best strategy to reduce nitrogen volatilization? → Incorporating fertilizer or using urease inhibitors
28. Which symptom pattern is most characteristic of bacterial leaf blight in soybeans caused by Pseudomonas savastanoi? → Water-soaked angular lesions that turn brown with yellow halos
29. Soybeans are classified as short-day plants. This classification means that the initiation of flowering is primarily triggered by which environmental cue? → The length of the uninterrupted dark period exceeding a critical threshold.
30. When submitting a plant disease sample to a diagnostic laboratory, which tissue is most valuable to collect? → The transition zone between healthy and diseased tissue